The world made me a little sadder today. We spend a lot of time listening to National Public Radio and Minnesota Public Radio in our home. As you may have heard there are a few riots happening in London and it's all (rightfully so) that is being spoken about. Due to regrettable violence by the police things have escalated beyond anything England has ever seen.
What makes me sad about this, okay a lot of things make me sad about this, but the thing that really gets to me is "How have we gotten to a place that this is how we resolve conflict?". It seems more and more that people (not all people) have forgotten what it means to respect one another's differences. To understand that we all make mistakes and if we are ignorant about the facts help teach each other. We all have a difference of opinions and rather than drawing lines in the sand TALK, COMMUNICATE!
You will not always be right and I will not always be right. We spend a lot of time trying to teach Baby Chang that she can't always get her way and that instead of hitting or screaming she needs to use her words. She needs to tell us why she is upset. Sometimes she will need to share or give in even if she doesn't want to, in the end it just may be better for everyone.
Recently, on Facebook there of course has been a lot of talk about what is happening in Washington D.C. or maybe what isn't happening in Washington D.C. Again this makes me sad. Not because people don't agree with my ideals or because they have more conservative opinions than me. It makes me sad to see friends and colleagues who I believe to be very intelligent belittle the work of our leaders by name calling just because they don't see eye to eye with them. I've seen Republicans called terrorists and Democrats called pussies and perhaps worst of all is the names the President of the United States has been referred to as. I believe in Freedom of Speech but I think I believe more in the Golden Rule. The men and women we elect have an extremely difficult job. They don't always do it well but we need to give them the benefit of the doubt. If it doesn't work out the way you want it to VOTE!
Adding to my disappointment today was the graffiti at the park we took Baby Chang to this afternoon. It wasn't obvious or loud and garish, it was hidden. Written in a place where usually only children would climb. I only saw it when I happened to stick my head into the small area in which Baby Chang was playing. Someone had tried to cover up the worst of it but alas it was legible and none to imaginative. I don't consider myself a prude but I have to wonder why it's necessary to deface a children's park in such a way. By the way there is a T in Bitch.
Have we gotten to a place and time when as individuals we see ourselves as more important than the people around us? Can't we remember to take a moment and walk in the shoes of someone else? Does the innocence of our children means less than the freedom of poorly spelled x-rated expression?
Maybe it's time for us all to take a collective deep breath and take a step back to remember what really is important in our world.
And now I'll take a giant leap off my soap box!
Bravo! Sorry I'm not more wordy than that - but I do agree that we're careening headlong into a place where individuals see themselves as more important than the whole. Here's to hoping that all of that reverses course soon.
ReplyDeleteAnd it does seem like people are also no longer respecting each other's belief and that makes me sad too. Where did we lose that and let it go by the wayside??